Why is code readability important in programming language best practices?

Code is a way that humans communicate with computers. Ideally we would be more comfortable communicating using our natural language. Considering that we are constrained to express our requirements in a different language, a future you will thank the current you if the code written reads like a story.

Code readability is about developing programs that will let the reader be able to make sense of what the program intends to do at a simple glance. Software will typically be not maintained by the author and there will be other people who will maintain it. Thus, its very important to have a clear structure and naming conventions so that new people taking over will find it easier to understand and maintain the code.

I can think of some few where code readability can help: Efficiency Speed Maintainability Understanding Complexity Management Extensibility Refactoring Logic Verification

When writing code you always need to consider that someone else may need to understand your code in the future. There have been several times that I thanked myself for writing readable code when looking at my own code months or even years later.

Readable Code = Maintainable Code: Code that is easy to read is typically easier to maintain. Developers can quickly identify issues, update functionality, and add features without introducing unintended errors. Facilitating Collaboration: Code readability is essential for effective collaboration within development teams. Team members can work more seamlessly, understanding each other's contributions. Enhanced Debugging: Readable code simplifies the debugging process, allowing developers to identify and rectify issues efficiently. This is crucial for maintaining a robust and error-free software application.

Code readability is crucial during the testing and debugging phases. When a bug is reported, a developer needs to quickly identify and fix the issue. If the code is readable, the debugging process becomes more straightforward. For example, if a bug is related to a specific functionality, a developer can easily trace the logic, identify the problem, and implement a solution without spending excessive time deciphering the code.

Readable code matters because software design rarely happens in a silo these days. Whether it's collaborating with a team, or even just coming back to your own code months later, you want to minimize ramp-up time. Code that conveys its purpose quickly benefits everyone involved in the process. Plus, maintaining and building on readable code over time is way less painful! It's not just about following textbook rules, either — it's about writing code that helps the next person hit the ground running. The readability level of code really impacts how smoothly a program can grow and adapt.

In the end, readability saves time and effort/resources - which for the business means saving money (and businesses like people who save their money). It also boosts up *your* value as a specialist - just because you get things done (doesn't quite look related, eh? Readability of *your* code makes it easier to work on the project and meet deadlines, thereby showing *you* as an efficient worker). But the most important is... readability is a gift to your future self. In half a year you'll need to go back to this code and tinker with it a bit - and you'll be forever grateful to yourself for being *able to read* what you have written.

Readable code is simply some code without any readers tricks, a code that is easy & quick to read. Code as other forms of textual contents suffer from what is called "Stroop effect" , name of Dr in psychology studying the reading curve for young kids. Our brain can be easily spoofed by visual tricks.

Where to start? It reduces quality issues and tech debt. It expedites velocity. If I can understand your code, I'll know exactly where I need to work to complete my particular task. I'll know how to do it in a way that adheres to existing patterns in the code (the enemy of tech debt). And I'll understand what tests are needed to maintain product quality. In my opinion, it is one of the most important factors for the success of teams of more than 2 people.

Naming Conventions: Consistent and meaningful naming of variables, functions, and classes contributes to code readability. Tools can assess adherence to naming conventions. Indentation and Formatting: Consistent indentation and formatting enhance code readability. Linters and formatters can automate adherence to styling standards. Static Code Analysis: Utilize static code analysis tools to identify potential issues, enforce coding standards, and highlight areas for improvement in terms of readability. Readability Metrics: Various readability metrics, such as the Automated Readability Index (ARI) or the Gunning Fog Index, provide numerical scores based on factors like sentence length and word complexity.

Want to get feedback? Ask your fellow colleagues. If there's no code review in your team, or if it's just a formal click on the Merge button, that's where you're missing your chance to assess your code. Code reviews serve just that purpose: make sure your code is valid, and find any potential flaws, *including* the code being unreadable. Make it a law: if the code stinks, it must not pass the review.

Quality metrics as effering coupling, instability and others do not apply to code reading but to code maintenance. You can have unreadable but looseley coupled & stable code and you can find readable but tighly coupled code. These are 2 different topics

Certainly bugs found after merge or release. I also like using code coverage reports to see how much additional code is added.

Cyclomatic Complexity: Evaluate the complexity of code by assessing the number of decision points and potential execution paths. Lower cyclomatic complexity values often indicate more readable code. Maintainability Index: Tools like Code Metrics in Visual Studio calculate maintainability index, considering factors such as cyclomatic complexity, lines of code, and depth of inheritance. A higher index suggests better readability. Comment Ratio: Analyze the ratio of comments to code lines. An appropriate amount of comments provides insights into the code's purpose without excessive verbosity. Code Duplication: Detect and eliminate redundant code. High levels of duplication can hinder readability and maintainability.

I advise against writing documentation within the code, especially in a manner that explains what the code does. The code should be self-documenting: it should be clear from the code itself what it does. My main concern about documentation is that it becomes another thing to maintain: you need to change it when the code changes, leading to additional work and potential inconsistency. However, it is sometimes a good idea to add a note to parts of the code that are not obvious, such as a workaround for a specific issue. In these cases, the comment should explain "why" not "what it is doing".

Use helpful names for classes, functions, parameters and variables. Properly indent your code. Make sure the logic is clear. Add comments for anything that is not obvious, like why you did something a certain way. And if you find yourself trying to do a million things with one line of code, you are missing the point!

Readability isn't just about slavishly following standard naming conventions or code styles — it's about clearly communicating your logic and intent to the next developer who reads your code. I've found that using consistent formats for things like variable names or function prefixes, while not strictly necessary, makes code a lot more scannable. My eyes get used to picking out certain patterns. Another tactic is to abstract complex blocks of logic into descriptively-named methods or functions. Also, don't underestimate the value of comments! Code can't always capture the "why" behind a choice or approach — explanatory comments help provide that extra context. They don't have to be long or wordy, just enough to give insight.

Think of this like writing a book. Your style isn't going to exactly match other authors. But if people can't understand what you have written, they will stop reading. That's what I try to keep in mind.